Jamia withdraws show-cause notice against scholar after protests

The Jamia administration on Tuesday withdrew the show-cause notice issued to research scholar and student leader Imran for his “unlawful acts” of making “irresponsible statements” about the university to a Hindi daily, after students of the university organised a protest in campus on Tuesday.

Imran, and another research scholar Naqi Mohammad had begun an indefinite hunger strike against what they called “injustice and cruelty” by the administration. Holding placards of “Jamia VC go back” and “Stop suppressing students’ voices”, students had demanded that show-cause notice be withdrawn.

“We have withdrawn the notice. We never had any intention of taking action against Imran. We would have only issued an advisory asking him to deal with issues by talking to the administration instead of going to the media. He should have not behaved like a political leader, and I will still suggest that he concentrate on academics. Meanwhile the university has taken his concerns into consideration and we will be inaugurating a new space in the library for research scholars on Friday which will remain open from morning to night,” Jamia Chief Proctor Mehtab Alam told the Indian Express.

Imran told the Indian Express that the move was a “victory” for the students. “At last they have heard our demands and withdrawn the show-cause notice sent to me. This is a decisive victory for us. The administration had been indulging in a witch-hunt of those who were raising students’ issues which was creating an atmosphere of fear in the campus,” he said.

In the notice served on July 22 to Imran, a PhD student of International Studies at the MMA Jauhar Academy of International Studies and the president of the Jamia Students’ Forum (JSF), he is pulled up for his making statements critical of the Jamia administration.

“Where as it has been reported that you have given statement to ‘Awam-e-Hindi’ published on June 16, that there was a shortage of chairs in Jamia Library reading room. Again as reported in ‘Awam-e-Hind’ on July 16, you have put allegation on Jamia administration that Jamia hostel campus is flooded with water and administration is coolly sleeping. Such irresponsible behaviour of yours of giving misleading accounts amounts to unbecoming a PhD student of Jamia (sic),” reads the notice signed by the Chief Proctor.

“Take note that your above said unlawful acts are in gross violation of Jamia’s Rules and Regulations, and are being viewed seriously by the Jamia authorities. You are hereby called upon to explain in writing your irresponsible statements and misconduct with reference to above charges in my office by July 29,” it further reads.

Speaking about alleged admission irregularities in the university, Alam had earlier told the Indian Express that certain students were being debarred from taking admission as they were “vitiating” the campus atmosphere by organising protests among other things, and that Jamia did not want “such students” since it was “not JNU”.